Boxelder Bugs

[IncredibowlBoss]

I've been spotting these guys around my grow for about a week - they seem to mainly be around for the light, heat, and humidity, so I let them be, but I decided to ID them today. Turns out some of the strange new growth I'm seeing can be attributed to them snacking on new shoots.

First, does anyone have experience with these guys? The research I've done suggests they're easy to kill with soap & water, which is easy enough - do they pose a legit threat to my garden?

Second, is there any chance that their random snacking can lead to beneficial topping? If I have nature's own toppers working my garden for me, I can forgive them

 

[geopolitical]

First the second and then the first.

No, they won't be in any way beneficial. They'll do some moderate damage at the worst (they tend to eat stuff lower to the ground) or fairly minor damage at the best. I've never seen them outright kill a plant, just cripple. They do leave wounds that other diseases can then colonize so that isn't good.

They're very easy to control, they love heat, sunshine & humidity. Physically picking them off & dunking them in soapy water followed by a spray down should hurt them quite a bit. Spraying alone will kill a few as they dry out, but in my experience enough survive that it's easier to ENSURE the ones you see are dead before spraying.

The good news is they don't stray very far from a hiding place to feed. If you can eliminate nearby hiding places while treating for them you'll probably have very little recurrence of the infestation.

If you are growing indoors and have 'em you have more problems than the bugs.

 

[Banjoboy]

Next door has a box elder tree so I deal with them all the time. In the spring and fall they will gather in warm sunny spots by the hundreds. A quick spray with soapy water kills them. The y overwinter in dead leaves and garden waste so keep the yard cleaned up as best you can. Good luck.
BB

 

[IncredibowlBoss]

I've been spraying them with soapy water til they can't fly, then stomping them (100% casualty rate!) - thanks for the feedback!